The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-09
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.,
THE EASTERN TRUNK LINE AS
ISOLATION
Meet, and Pass Resolutions to Con
form With the Provisions OF
the CulIOm Bill.

pose Of deciding the fate OF IT,
organization, whether, under the inter
state commerce act, 1t could maintain
It's existence; if 80, in what form an
what its relations to this recent na
tional legislation were. There wer
present John Newell, president; AID
olson Hills, assistant to president, an,
j. T. r. Mckay, general freight agen
OF the Lake Shore; ]. N. Mccullough
first vice president; W. H. Stewart
general freight agent, and ID. s. Gray
of the Pennsylvania company; JudR
S. Burke, president; 6. M. Beach
general manager, and Edgar Hill, e n
freight agent Of the Bee Line; Gsorg,
Blanchard, commissioner of the Gen
trail Traffic Association; George G
Cochran, general freight agent OF Il
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio
Col. Ofland Smith, second vice presi
dent OF the Baltimore and Ohio; ano
W. j. Spicer, general manager OF the
Chicago aud Grand Trunk. Mr.
Newell was chairman Of the meeting
Commissioner Blanchard delivered al
address to the committee, outlining
what he thought should be the policy
of the association in respect to the in
terstate commerce act. Other ad
dresses followed from various mem
bers, and the following resolutions
which embody the sentiment auC
opinion expressed, were unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That this committee recon.
mends that the Central Traffic Asso.
citation be continued, with the under
standing that its methods, statistical
statements, etc., be revised to conform
to such railway :. .tion under the in.
terstate law as shall be finally decided
upon.
Resolved, That in the judgment Of
this committee the laws should be &C.
copied, interpreted with just regard
for the great mutual commercial, rail
way, and public interest involved
generally In conformity with the
OF Sthe law as explained by
Senator Cullom in the Senate debate
and this Assoc aiion will CO.
operate with the Commissioners ua.
der the interstate commerce law in
securing, as far as possible, the bene-
Cts of that bill and in the faithful OBJ
servsnce Of all its provisions.
Resolved, That this committee meet
with the Trunk Line Executive Com.
mittee on the call OF the latter, and
that joint executive committee 30
constituted for that purpose, proceed
10 such further agreement and recon-
OF detail as may be re-
luired by the Interpretation OF the act
agreed upon by such Elective Com.
nittee and then submit the same to a
of the Association for its final
action.
Resolved, That copies hereof be trans-
mitted by the secretary of this meet
ing to the trunk lines, through their
commissioner, and to the managers of
his association, together with the full
OF this meeting; and the man.
,gers of this association are requested
% convey to the Commissioner, prior
10 such Joint Executive Committee.
such queries or views as they desire
thereat. .o
1t will be noticed that the shape
which the association will assume is
not indicated. That is left for a future
Of the association to de.
lermine.
A reporter met Commissioner
after the meeting had ad-
burned and inquired whether, in his
opinion, an sffic association could
be maintained in the face OF the
;,ricturep as b pooling which the inter-
state commerce act presented. "There
s no doubt OF it," replied Mr.. Blanch-
ard. "There Is very erroneous i'm
preston with a great many people
hat the object of the Central Traffic
Association Is to pool business Of its
members. The real purpose of the
is to maintain rates, and
he pooling Of business is only one of
the means adopted TO attain this or
eCt. We don't need that means I'M
der this act, for the law itself provides
that rates must be maintained. There
10, however, great necessity for an
agreement among the roads IA to Just
what their rates shall be. The law
does not prohibit that. The local
rates on the Lake Shore here will
affect the through rates from Ohicsgo &,
and the through rate from Chicago
made by the Lake Shore will affect
the rates OF all the other lines from
Chicago. Then the rates at Chicago
will affect the rates at Peoria, at st.
Louis and everywhere else. You see
there Is a necessity for an agreement
among the lines as TO what that tariff
shall be-"
Sand can rates be maintained with.
out some means Of apportioning the
business from common points among
the competitive lines"
Undoubtedly. Some memL era be-
lieve that, under the interstate com.
MERGE act, means can be devised
whereby the business may be appor-
toned without violating the clause
prohibiting pooling, but the general
feeling is not to attempt anything OF
this kind just now, but to allow each
line to keep all the business it GETS -
"Would not that encourage the cut
ting Of rates?"
mo, for the reason that 1t must be
done openly and for everybody. The
cutting OF rates In the past has been
most disastrous, because 1t was done
secretly and in favor Of all large ship
pers. A road would make reduction
quietly and scoop all the business.
The other lines would not know II
until 1t was too late, but now they will
know it at once and can meet II
promptly, 80 that there will be no ad-
vantage to bs obtained by the re-
duction."
"Will not a uniformity Of rates send
all the business over the strong lines,
leaving nothing for the weaker roads :"
"In freight traffic, no; in passenger
traffic, 1t probably would, and the
principle in diHerentials in passenger
business may be recognized. There
will probably be a number Of changes
in the method of conducting this de.
partment. One measure advocated in
the meeting today was the retirement
OF all mileage books. The argument
is that II they are sold to the public
generally a great many will find their
way into the hands Of the ticket
scalpers."